Review: Airedale Symphony Orchestra, King’s Hall, Ilkley, Sunday, November 21, 2021

The Orchestra’s first public concert in twenty months and an audience hungry for live music practically guaranteed a cheerful welcome.

John Anderson, ASO conductor since 1990, presented three popular works from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Prelude weaves together some of the most beloved scenes from fairy tale opera in just eight minutes. A performance of subtle Wagnerian sonic weight opened softly with the ASO’s chorale of softened French horns in the deeply moving Children’s Evening Prayer.

A decade after Hansel and Gretel’s Weimar premiere in 1893, Sibelius conducted the first performance of his Violin Concerto in D minor. It is at least in spirit, the last of the great romantic violin concertos of the 19th century. A hauntingly beautiful overture for the solo violin is dampened by gently pulsing pianissimo strings. The music expresses the desire of the past century and portends more unpleasant things to come. Andy Long who is the associate leader of the Opera North Orchestra was the low key soloist. Andy emphasized the beauty of the tone while shedding light on the virtuoso demands of the concerto. The narrowness of the ensemble and the closeness of the orchestral colors sealed a memorable performance.

An exhilarating reading of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony filled the second half of this Sunday morning concert. In the irrepressible final movement, the notes seemed to fly from the pages of the score.

John Anderson and the Airedale Symphony Orchestra then return to King’s Hall with an all-Russian program on Sunday March 13 at 7:30 p.m.

By Geoffrey Mogridge